In Type 1 diabetes (T1D, insulin-dependent diabetes, or juvenile diabetes), the immune system mounts a misguided destruction of insulin-producing islet cells. Thus T1D is classified as an autoimmune disorder, where the immune system fails to recognize certain cells of the body as “self” Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by a progressive loss of functional pancreatic beta cell mass triggered by cell directed autoimmunity (FIG. 1). Insulin is the primary autoantigen in T1D, and the strongest susceptibility locus IDDM1 encodes MHC-II receptors on antigen presenting cells.